Discovering Innovation: The Journey of Product Hunt and Its Founders
Company profile
Company business details
Motivation to build the product
The founders were motivated by the need for a better way to discover new products in the tech industry. They recognized that many innovative products were being launched but often went unnoticed, leading to a lack of engagement between makers and potential users.Problem that their product solves
Product Hunt addresses the challenge of product discovery, particularly for tech enthusiasts and startups. The end users are product makers and consumers who benefit from a centralized platform to showcase and discover new products, making it important for fostering innovation and user engagement.Their unfair advantage
Product Hunt's community-driven approach and strong user engagement set it apart from competitors, allowing for real-time feedback and interaction between makers and users.Strategies
Pre-Launch (Product Development & MVP)
Email List MVP
In the early days of Product Hunt, the founder leveraged an email list as a minimum viable product (MVP) to gauge interest in the platform. Instead of building a full-fledged product, he quickly set up an email list that took only 20 minutes to create. This allowed him to collect a few hundred subscribers and validate the concept without investing significant time in development. The email list served as a way to engage with potential users and test the waters for the product's viability.
Games Digest Email List
To explore the gaming market, Product Hunt initiated a 'Games Digest' mailing list, which serves as a daily update for users about new and interesting games. This approach mirrors the original concept of Product Hunt, which started as an email list for tech products. By starting small with an email list, they aimed to gauge interest and gather feedback without the need for a full-fledged platform, allowing them to iterate based on user responses before committing to a larger launch.
Launch Stage
Community Engagement through Twitter
During the launch phase, the founder actively engaged with makers and product creators on Twitter. He would search for the Twitter usernames of those who launched products on Product Hunt and invite them to join the conversation. This personal outreach led to a high response rate, with about 80% of makers eager to participate. This strategy not only fostered community engagement but also encouraged makers to share their products, driving organic growth.
Snoop Dogg AMA Launch
Product Hunt collaborated with Snoop Dogg to launch his new album through an Ask Me Anything (AMA) session. This event was designed to engage the community and explore the intersection of music and technology, leveraging Snoop's influence in both areas. By inviting a well-known figure like Snoop Dogg, Product Hunt aimed to attract a broader audience and experiment with content outside their traditional tech focus. This strategy not only showcased their flexibility but also tested the waters for future collaborations with artists and other non-tech products.
Encouraging Authentic Communication
Product Hunt encouraged product creators to communicate authentically when launching their products on the platform. They advised against using overly polished marketing language and instead promoted a more human, relatable tone. This strategy aimed to foster genuine connections between creators and users, enhancing the overall community experience and ensuring that discussions felt organic rather than corporate.
Learn more about Product Hunt
Communicate with Users, Build Something They Want - Ryan Hoover of Product Hunt
Ryan Hoover, Founder/CEO Product Hunt Interview#startupconference2015
